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Public Transport - Railway Transport

Funding

The Department provides capital grant to Translink for Northern Ireland Railways to operate rail services. The funding helps maintain and develop the rail infrastructure, which includes track, stations, bridges, level crossings etc, and rolling stock, which includes trains, equipment and associated plant machinery.

This investment allows rail services to operate safely and efficiently and helps make public transport an attractive alternative to private transport.

Public Transport Financial Services and Delivery Division approves and monitors the Capital Grant allocated to Translink ensuring that projects demonstrate value for taxpayer's money and expenditure falls within budgetary limits.

Between 2004 and 2005 Northern Ireland Railways took delivery of 23 new trains built by Spanish train manufacturers Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarrilles S A (CAF). The first train entered into passenger service in November 2004 and all of the trains have been operating since 2005. This project involved investment of some £81m and has provided speedier, more reliable and more comfortable rail services on the railway network here.

On 25 March 2009, the then Minister Conor Murphy signed a £105m contract along with Translink and the Spanish company CAF to purchase a further 20 new trains for deployment on the NIR network. Of these, 13 will replace the old stock still operating on the network and 7 will be used to facilitate increases in frequency and capacity in the greater Belfast area and on the Belfast to Derry line. The first of the 20 new trains was delivered in March 2011 and will be introduced to passenger service during this year. The final set will be in service by 2013. This contract is a key element of the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland and the Regional Transportation Strategy. Work on associated projects, such as the New Train Maintenance Facility at Adelaide and Platform Extensions at some stations has also started.

A Position ReportThis link will open a new window.(1.7MB) on the Current Investment needs of Northern Ireland Railways was produced by the Railways Review Group (RRG) and issued on 19 May 2004.

This paper was a means of gathering views from all those interested in the extent to which there should be investment in our railway network. The consultation closed on 23 July 2004 and the views gathered informed the decision making process in the 2004 Spending Review. The budget announcement on 20 December 2004 made provision for the development of some parts of the railways network in line with the funding estimates in the RRG report as well as for an element of capital renewal on the other lines represented by Option 2 of the RRG report.

The Department undertook further work through the auspices of an Inter-Agency Steering Group which looked at a wide range of options for the future provision of rail services. As a result the Department provided investment in 2009/10 to 2010/11 of over £89m. This has gone towards the acquisition of the 20 new trains and the associated projects. The work to extend the track life on the rail line between Ballymena and Coleraine has been completed and a new railway station at Newry opened in September 2009.    

Heritage and Tourist Railways

Steam Engine picture - Courtesy of Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway

Heritage and Tourist Railways in Northern Ireland are privately owned and run. They do not provide passenger services for the travelling public and are not funded by the Department. They are however a valuable tourist and heritage amenity.

All railway operators in Northern Ireland including light and heritage railways are required to comply with all new regulations introduced by the Department to further improve railway safety. In some circumstances heritage railways operating on their own tracks and at a line speed that does not exceed 25mph may be exempted from some of the more onerous regulations where the Department is satisfied that the safety of passengers and the general public is not compromised.

The Department has responsibility for the licensing of all light railways including heritage railways operating in Northern Ireland in exercise of the powers conferred on it under section 27 of the Regulation of Railways Act 1868.

The following privately owned light and heritage railways operators across Northern Ireland. Of these railways The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI)This link will open a new window. is the only heritage operator that currently has excess to the main line network for special excursion trips. These excursions including cross-border trips are organised through special arrangements entered into by RPSI, Translink in Northern Ireland and Ianrod Eireann in the Republic of Ireland.

Other related heritage railway sites:


Information